The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and more particularly to such an image recording apparatus having a window section for maintenance purpose.
In an image recording apparatus, an original to be copied and an image sheet for copying the image of the original are conveyed or transported from the right side to the left side of the apparatus as viewed from a direction in which the apparatus is disposed in an orientation in which it is used. To this effect, guide rollers are provided for conveying the imaging sheet. The guide rollers are rotatably supported on shafts which are anchored to a pair of frames of the apparatus disposed in parallel in the direction normal to the conveying direction. In a conventional image recording apparatus, a window section is provided for facilitating maintenance of the apparatus. Such a window section is provided in one or both of the frames which supports the shafts of the guide rollers.
However, the provision of the window section in that portion reduces a mechanical strength of the apparatus and causes to distort one or both of the frames, resulting that the parallel positional relationship of the two of the frames is not maintained.
In order to smoothly convey the imaging sheet, the shafts for supporting the guide rollers are required to be arranged in parallel to one another. Otherwise, sheet jamming is caused. Particularly, when conveying an elongated web-like imaging sheet, the sheet is caused to be wrinkled. Therefore, such problems have been raised in the provision of the window section in the frames supporting the shafts of the rollers. Furthermore, in order to maintain a minimum mechanical strength, the size of the window section cannot be made enlarged more than a predetermined maximum notwithstanding the fact that the larger the window section be, the more the maintenance of the apparatus is facilitated.